Darkened — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb adjective /ˈdär-kən/ dark·en

Meaning & Definition of Darkened

Darkened (verb)

  1. to grow dark, become obscured
  2. to become gloomy
  3. to make dark

Darkened (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being without light or without much light

    "wanting to surprise her, we waited in the darkened room for her to get home before calling out happy birthday"

    similar: black, caliginous, dark, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusk, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, pitchy, rayless, somber, stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous, unlit
    related: crepuscular, twilit, moonless, starless, sunless, cloudy, dull, dulled, lackluster, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, beclouded, befogged, clouded, foggy, fuliginous, misty, smoggy, soupy
    opposite: bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit, lightsome, lucent, lucid, luminous
    near: ablaze, agleam, aglitter, alight, beaming, beamy, effulgent, glaring, glowing, incandescent, lambent, radiant, relucent, resplendent, shining, sparkling, ultrabright, glossy, lustrous, shiny, floodlit, highlighted, spotlighted, moonlit, moony, starlit, sunlit

Darkened (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to take on a gloomy or forbidding look

    "his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news"

    similar: gloomed, glowered, lowered
    related: frowned, scowled, glared, stared, brooded, moped, petted, pouted, sulked, angered, bristled, fumed, raged, steamed, stormed, intimidated, menaced, threatened
    opposite: brightened, cheered (up), lightened, perked (up)

  2. to grow dark

    "the sky darkened as a storm moved in"

    similar: blacked out, blackened, closed in, dusked
    related: dimmed, faded, waned, gloomed, lowered
    opposite: brightened, lightened, lit
    near: dawned, beamed, glowed, radiated, shone

  3. to make dark, dim, or indistinct

    "years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen"

    similar: beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, blackened, bleared, blurred, clouded, dimmed, dislimned, fogged, fuzzed (up), hazed, misted, obscured, overcast, overclouded, overshadowed, shadowed, shrouded
    related: adumbrated, blotted out, concealed, eclipsed, hid, obliterated, screened, shaded, camouflaged, cloaked, covered, curtained, disguised, masked, veiled
    opposite: brightened, illuminated, illumined, lightened, lit (up)
    near: exposed, revealed, uncovered, unveiled

  4. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation"

    similar: blemished, marred, poisoned, spoiled, stained, tainted, tarnished, touched, vitiated
    related: begrimed, besmeared, besmirched, blackened, blurred, clouded, dirtied, discolored, polluted, smeared, smirched, smudged, smutted, soiled, sullied, tarred, abased, cheapened, debased, degraded, demeaned, discredited, disgraced, dishonored, fouled, lowered, sank, shamed, bastardized, corrupted, debauched, demoralized, depraved, perverted, subverted, colored, distorted, twisted
    near: cleansed, purified, dignified, elevated, ennobled, enshrined, glorified, hallowed, magnified, uplifted

Related Entry: Darken (verb)

Darken is a different word from Darkened. The synonyms below are for darken, not for darkened.

  1. to take on a gloomy or forbidding look

    "his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news"

    similar: gloom, glower, lower
    related: frown, scowl, glare, stare, brood, mope, pet, pout, sulk, anger, bristle, fume, rage, steam, storm, intimidate, menace, threaten
    opposite: brighten, cheer (up), lighten, perk (up)

  2. to grow dark

    "the sky darkened as a storm moved in"

    similar: blacken, black out, close in, dusk
    related: dim, fade, wane, gloom, lower
    opposite: brighten, light, lighten
    near: dawn, beam, glow, radiate, shine

  3. to make dark, dim, or indistinct

    "years of accumulated grime have darkened the painting until it can barely be seen"

    similar: becloud, bedim, befog, blacken, blear, blur, cloud, dim, dislimn, fog, fuzz (up), haze, mist, obscure, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shadow, shroud
    related: adumbrate, blot out, conceal, eclipse, hide, obliterate, screen, shade, camouflage, cloak, cover, curtain, disguise, mask, veil
    opposite: brighten, illuminate, illumine, light (up), lighten
    near: expose, reveal, uncover, unveil

  4. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "the scandal darkened his otherwise sterling reputation"

    similar: blemish, mar, poison, spoil, stain, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate
    related: begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar, abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink, bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert, color, distort, twist
    near: cleanse, purify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Darkened

The most common words with a similar meaning to Darkened:

black, caliginous, dark, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusk, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, pitchy, rayless, somber, stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous, unlit, gloomed, glowered, lowered, blacked out, blackened, closed in, dusked, beclouded, bedimmed, befogged, bleared, blurred, clouded, dislimned, fogged, fuzzed (up)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Darkened

Words with the opposite meaning of Darkened:

bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit, lightsome, lucent, lucid, luminous, cheered (up), lightened, perked (up), lit (up)

Related Words for Darkened

crepuscular, twilit, moonless, starless, sunless, cloudy, dull, dulled, lackluster, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, foggy, fuliginous, misty, smoggy, soupy, frowned, scowled, glared, stared, brooded, moped, petted, pouted, sulked, angered

Near Antonyms of Darkened

ablaze, agleam, aglitter, alight, beaming, beamy, effulgent, glaring, glowing, incandescent, lambent, radiant, relucent, resplendent, shining, sparkling, ultrabright, glossy, lustrous, shiny, floodlit, highlighted, spotlighted, moonlit, moony, starlit, sunlit, dawned, beamed, glowed

Word Forms of Darkened

Inflections: darkening

Derived words: darkener (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Darkened

First known use: 14th centuryi

Frequently Asked Questions about Darkened

What does "Darkened" mean?

"Darkened" means to grow dark, become obscured. As an a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: to grow dark, become obscured. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Darkened"?

Other words for "Darkened" include black, caliginous, dark, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim and dimmed. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Darkened" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Darkened"?

There are 145 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Darkened". Common alternatives include black, caliginous, dark, darkish, darkling, darksome, dim, dimmed, dusk and dusky.

What is the opposite of "Darkened"?

Antonyms of "Darkened" include bright, brightened, brilliant, illuminated, illumined, light, lit and lightsome. Near antonyms include ablaze, agleam, aglitter and alight.

How do you use "Darkened" in a sentence?

Examples of "Darkened" in a sentence: "wanting to surprise her, we waited in the darkened room for her to get home before calling out happy birthday"; "his face slowly darkened as we told him the sad news"; "the sky darkened as a storm moved in".

Is "Darkened" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Darkened" can be used as a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Darkened"?

"Darkened" is pronounced /ˈdär-kən/ and divided into syllables as dark·en.

What is the origin of the word "Darkened"?

First known use: 14th centuryi.